crew are specified in the iss lu hao post itself. as for duplication, in drawing up npc's I find that there is very much duplication in engineering skills, so one may say that 1) redundancy is good or 2) the crew can be smaller. up to the captain. personally I prefer redundancy as the ship is meant to operate in the wild and if something breaks it won't be acceptable to say "wait for annual overhaul to fix it".
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ISS Lu Hao writeup
- Thread starter flykiller
- Start date
crew are specified in the iss lu hao post itself. as for duplication, in drawing up npc's I find that there is very much duplication in engineering skills, so one may say that 1) redundancy is good or 2) the crew can be smaller. up to the captain. personally I prefer redundancy as the ship is meant to operate in the wild and if something breaks it won't be acceptable to say "wait for annual overhaul to fix it".
jump drive
operational description
"jump drives" enable a spaceship to "jump", that is, transit from one location in physical space to another location in physical space without transiting physical space itself. when this event is viewed externally the ship and all its properties simply disappears, reappearing roughly one week later in another location. when jump is experienced internally no motion is felt, but observes report the outside world "fading away" or "draining away into a whirlpool" or the view simply graying out. during jump nothing can be seen outside any external windows until the jump is completed. upon precipitation at the destination observers report the sudden appearance of stars and space, or the slow fading of the gray until a normal view is seen, or the starts sometimes "spinning back". there is no minimum jump distance - a ship could jump a few inches - but jump drives are rated by the number of parsecs across which they may transit a ship. presently the upper limit for controlled jumps to intended destinations is 6 parsecs, achieved by using tech 15 jump drives. jumps beyond 6 parsecs are easily accomplished but have uncontrolled and unpredictable results.
jump drives and maneuver drives are very similar. while maneuver drives bend real-space-time, jump drives breach it.
jump drives generate a jump field (calibrated to match she ship's size and shape) and jump capacitors store and then discharge electrical power to breach a point in real-space-time located within the jump field. once this breach is achieved the jump drives pour hydrogen into the breach. this induces the hydrogen to fuse within the breach, which drives the breach "wider" and "longer" towards a target destination point (determined by the ship's navigation systems). at the moment that the target destination point in real-space-time is also breached, jump occurs and continues until the ship itself precipitates at the target destination point. during jump the jump drives are shut down and left unpowered and require no engineering attention other than preservative maintenance.
charging jump drives emit a high-speed rotor mechanica sound, a high-pitched whine as the capacitors charge, and a loud roaring while the fusing fuel enlarges the breach. as jump is about to initiate the sound of the fusing fuel becomes more distant. upon jump entry all jump drive sounds cease.
physical description
jump drives consist two separate field generators, each a flask with internally nested counter-rotators (two for jump 1, three for jump 2, etc), internal capacitor banks above and below the rotors, and external real-space guide fins, joined by a ship calibration mesh grid which, depending on tech level and manufacturer and materials, may be heavy or thin or narrow or wide. one of these units is enough to generate a jump field but a pair or more of these assemblies, while more expensive, allows more accuracy in jump destination navigation. fuel lines, wide enough to handle the fuel flow necessary to drive the expansion of the jump breach, lead into the top of each field generator.
normal operations
jump drive operations are uncomplicated, requiring only a set of destination coordinates supplied by the ship's navigator using the navigation systems, the application of electrical power and the lighting off of the field generator rotators, the opening of hydrogen fuel valves, and the jump sequence start signal initiated from the bridge which actuates the real-space-time breach charge and the flow of fuel into the breach. larger ships will have engineering control panels to centralize and coordinate these procedures but smaller ships routinely have nothing in engineering but a power breaker and a fuel valve. engineering 1, or mechanical 1 and electronics 1, are sufficient for routine jump operations.
maintenance
jump drives rotators are heavy, complex, and sensitive, but are not fragile. other moving parts requiring maintenance include those associated with fuel transfer and electrical power application. field generator internal maintance is the same as that of any rotating machinery. external maintenance consists of keeping the field generator radiators and mesh grid clean and un-dinged, and replacing any electrical components that fail or fuel valves that wear out. engineering 1, or mechanical 1 and electronics 1, are sufficient for these routine tasks.
refit/overhaul
jump drive field generator rotators must be rebalanced each year, and the field generators must be carefully calibrated to each other, to their grids, and to the ship on which they are mounted. this rebalancing and calibration must be performed during annual overhauls or or the not only will the jump drives begin to lose accuracy in intended destination but also may lose "power" - a jump 2 drive may become capable only of jumping 1 parsec, but still require all the fuel necessary to jump 2 parsecs. the task of rebalancing/recalibrating jump drives is rated UNUSUAL and requires both a qualified engineer and a qualified navigator. while those with skill level 1 or 2 may attempt it and may succeed the results cannot be guaranteed. skill level 3 for both engineer and navigator are necessary for guaranteed accuracy in jump. shipyard overhaul is sufficiently experienced (usually) to calibrate without testing. field testing proof of calibration usually consists of a short jump to an empty in-system target zone.
overhaul facilities may refit/overhaul jump drives to their technological level - i.e. an otherwise unsupported tech 13 yard can refit/overhaul a jump 5 drive to perform jump 4, the jump limit for tech 13.
damage control
even for a small ship executing a small jump, expanding the jump breach requires a large volume of hydrogen fuel. if the fuel system should be damaged or break while this evolution is in progress the engineering space will rapidly cool to the point of uninhabitability and all breathable air will be displaced in a moment.
jump drives that take physical damage may be repaired by any mechanic or, if the internals of a field generator have been disrupted, by any electronics tech. the task rating of such repairs depends on the level of damage. but the drives will then require re-calibration, and the task of re-calibrating them from being damaged is rated VERY DIFFICULT. this calibration is otherwise identical to that described in refit/overhaul.
abnormal operations
purified fuel is necessary to minimize navigational inaccuracies as the jump fuel is expanding the real-space-time breach. these inaccuracies are best implemented by the game referee. a suggested rule is impurities in fuel will introduce 6d6 AU inaccuracy in the final destination point.
jump drives which are operated past their refit/overhaul schedules begin to suffer in range and accuracy. these inaccuracies are best implemented by the game referee. a suggested rule for operations past refit/overhaul is, roll d6. if the result is less than the number of months past due, then 1) the jump drive will be reduced in range by 1 parsec, and 2) for each month past due roll another d6, and this result is the final inaccuracy in AU. these rolls are modified by both navigator and engineering skill level. example: a ship is 4 months past refit/overhaul. the navigator is skill level 2 and the engineer is skill level 1. the ship jumps. the player rolls d6 and gets a 1, adds 2 for the navigator, and adds 1 for the engineer, for a result of 4. jump accuracy is normal. later, 5 months past refit/overhaul, the ship jumps again. this time the player again rolls a 1, adds 2 for the navigator and 1 for the engineer, for a total of 4, less than the 5 months the ship is past refit/overhaul, therefore the jump will be 1 parsec short and the shorter jump will be inaccurate. the player then rolls 3d6, for 12, and subtracts 2 for the navigator and 1 for the engineer, for a result of 9. therefore the actual destination of this jump will be 9 AU distant from theintended destination. this reduction in range and inaccuracy accumulates without limit.
if jump is attempted with damaged or uncalibrated jump drives then the final destination is completely unpredictable. resolving the final destination is best implemented by the game referee. the old rule of d6d6 determining direction in hexsides and distance in parsecs of actual destination from intended destination seems appropriate.
normally two "turns" are required to charge the jump capacitors and charge the hydrogen fuel into the real-space-time breach. "fast jump" reduces this time to one turn, however this requires electrical power connections and fuel lines sufficient to handle the greater input of power and fuel. most civilian ships do not have this heavy-duty gear installed, while most military and scout ships do. "fast jump" by military/scout ships requires no task check. for a civilian ship the task of attempting fast jump is rated UNUSUAL, with failure resulting in electrically and/or mechanically damaged jump drives and possibly a failed jump.
(optional. jump may be initiated anywhere, and the destination point may be anywhere. jump is very sensitive, however, to gravitic fields. initiating jump within 100d of any major gravity source renders jump navigation calculations inaccurate. jump precipitation within 100d of a major gravity source will on arrival result in electrostatic feedback into the jump drive field generators. if the capacitors are unable to absorb this charge they will overload and burst, damaging or even destroying their electrical components and rendering the jump drives non-functional.)
operational description
"jump drives" enable a spaceship to "jump", that is, transit from one location in physical space to another location in physical space without transiting physical space itself. when this event is viewed externally the ship and all its properties simply disappears, reappearing roughly one week later in another location. when jump is experienced internally no motion is felt, but observes report the outside world "fading away" or "draining away into a whirlpool" or the view simply graying out. during jump nothing can be seen outside any external windows until the jump is completed. upon precipitation at the destination observers report the sudden appearance of stars and space, or the slow fading of the gray until a normal view is seen, or the starts sometimes "spinning back". there is no minimum jump distance - a ship could jump a few inches - but jump drives are rated by the number of parsecs across which they may transit a ship. presently the upper limit for controlled jumps to intended destinations is 6 parsecs, achieved by using tech 15 jump drives. jumps beyond 6 parsecs are easily accomplished but have uncontrolled and unpredictable results.
jump drives and maneuver drives are very similar. while maneuver drives bend real-space-time, jump drives breach it.
jump drives generate a jump field (calibrated to match she ship's size and shape) and jump capacitors store and then discharge electrical power to breach a point in real-space-time located within the jump field. once this breach is achieved the jump drives pour hydrogen into the breach. this induces the hydrogen to fuse within the breach, which drives the breach "wider" and "longer" towards a target destination point (determined by the ship's navigation systems). at the moment that the target destination point in real-space-time is also breached, jump occurs and continues until the ship itself precipitates at the target destination point. during jump the jump drives are shut down and left unpowered and require no engineering attention other than preservative maintenance.
charging jump drives emit a high-speed rotor mechanica sound, a high-pitched whine as the capacitors charge, and a loud roaring while the fusing fuel enlarges the breach. as jump is about to initiate the sound of the fusing fuel becomes more distant. upon jump entry all jump drive sounds cease.
physical description
jump drives consist two separate field generators, each a flask with internally nested counter-rotators (two for jump 1, three for jump 2, etc), internal capacitor banks above and below the rotors, and external real-space guide fins, joined by a ship calibration mesh grid which, depending on tech level and manufacturer and materials, may be heavy or thin or narrow or wide. one of these units is enough to generate a jump field but a pair or more of these assemblies, while more expensive, allows more accuracy in jump destination navigation. fuel lines, wide enough to handle the fuel flow necessary to drive the expansion of the jump breach, lead into the top of each field generator.
normal operations
jump drive operations are uncomplicated, requiring only a set of destination coordinates supplied by the ship's navigator using the navigation systems, the application of electrical power and the lighting off of the field generator rotators, the opening of hydrogen fuel valves, and the jump sequence start signal initiated from the bridge which actuates the real-space-time breach charge and the flow of fuel into the breach. larger ships will have engineering control panels to centralize and coordinate these procedures but smaller ships routinely have nothing in engineering but a power breaker and a fuel valve. engineering 1, or mechanical 1 and electronics 1, are sufficient for routine jump operations.
maintenance
jump drives rotators are heavy, complex, and sensitive, but are not fragile. other moving parts requiring maintenance include those associated with fuel transfer and electrical power application. field generator internal maintance is the same as that of any rotating machinery. external maintenance consists of keeping the field generator radiators and mesh grid clean and un-dinged, and replacing any electrical components that fail or fuel valves that wear out. engineering 1, or mechanical 1 and electronics 1, are sufficient for these routine tasks.
refit/overhaul
jump drive field generator rotators must be rebalanced each year, and the field generators must be carefully calibrated to each other, to their grids, and to the ship on which they are mounted. this rebalancing and calibration must be performed during annual overhauls or or the not only will the jump drives begin to lose accuracy in intended destination but also may lose "power" - a jump 2 drive may become capable only of jumping 1 parsec, but still require all the fuel necessary to jump 2 parsecs. the task of rebalancing/recalibrating jump drives is rated UNUSUAL and requires both a qualified engineer and a qualified navigator. while those with skill level 1 or 2 may attempt it and may succeed the results cannot be guaranteed. skill level 3 for both engineer and navigator are necessary for guaranteed accuracy in jump. shipyard overhaul is sufficiently experienced (usually) to calibrate without testing. field testing proof of calibration usually consists of a short jump to an empty in-system target zone.
overhaul facilities may refit/overhaul jump drives to their technological level - i.e. an otherwise unsupported tech 13 yard can refit/overhaul a jump 5 drive to perform jump 4, the jump limit for tech 13.
damage control
even for a small ship executing a small jump, expanding the jump breach requires a large volume of hydrogen fuel. if the fuel system should be damaged or break while this evolution is in progress the engineering space will rapidly cool to the point of uninhabitability and all breathable air will be displaced in a moment.
jump drives that take physical damage may be repaired by any mechanic or, if the internals of a field generator have been disrupted, by any electronics tech. the task rating of such repairs depends on the level of damage. but the drives will then require re-calibration, and the task of re-calibrating them from being damaged is rated VERY DIFFICULT. this calibration is otherwise identical to that described in refit/overhaul.
abnormal operations
purified fuel is necessary to minimize navigational inaccuracies as the jump fuel is expanding the real-space-time breach. these inaccuracies are best implemented by the game referee. a suggested rule is impurities in fuel will introduce 6d6 AU inaccuracy in the final destination point.
jump drives which are operated past their refit/overhaul schedules begin to suffer in range and accuracy. these inaccuracies are best implemented by the game referee. a suggested rule for operations past refit/overhaul is, roll d6. if the result is less than the number of months past due, then 1) the jump drive will be reduced in range by 1 parsec, and 2) for each month past due roll another d6, and this result is the final inaccuracy in AU. these rolls are modified by both navigator and engineering skill level. example: a ship is 4 months past refit/overhaul. the navigator is skill level 2 and the engineer is skill level 1. the ship jumps. the player rolls d6 and gets a 1, adds 2 for the navigator, and adds 1 for the engineer, for a result of 4. jump accuracy is normal. later, 5 months past refit/overhaul, the ship jumps again. this time the player again rolls a 1, adds 2 for the navigator and 1 for the engineer, for a total of 4, less than the 5 months the ship is past refit/overhaul, therefore the jump will be 1 parsec short and the shorter jump will be inaccurate. the player then rolls 3d6, for 12, and subtracts 2 for the navigator and 1 for the engineer, for a result of 9. therefore the actual destination of this jump will be 9 AU distant from theintended destination. this reduction in range and inaccuracy accumulates without limit.
if jump is attempted with damaged or uncalibrated jump drives then the final destination is completely unpredictable. resolving the final destination is best implemented by the game referee. the old rule of d6d6 determining direction in hexsides and distance in parsecs of actual destination from intended destination seems appropriate.
normally two "turns" are required to charge the jump capacitors and charge the hydrogen fuel into the real-space-time breach. "fast jump" reduces this time to one turn, however this requires electrical power connections and fuel lines sufficient to handle the greater input of power and fuel. most civilian ships do not have this heavy-duty gear installed, while most military and scout ships do. "fast jump" by military/scout ships requires no task check. for a civilian ship the task of attempting fast jump is rated UNUSUAL, with failure resulting in electrically and/or mechanically damaged jump drives and possibly a failed jump.
(optional. jump may be initiated anywhere, and the destination point may be anywhere. jump is very sensitive, however, to gravitic fields. initiating jump within 100d of any major gravity source renders jump navigation calculations inaccurate. jump precipitation within 100d of a major gravity source will on arrival result in electrostatic feedback into the jump drive field generators. if the capacitors are unable to absorb this charge they will overload and burst, damaging or even destroying their electrical components and rendering the jump drives non-functional.)
fuel system
functional description
starship power plants and jump drives require liquid hydrogen as fuel. virtually all starships and spacegoing vessels have fuel systems - intakes, tanks, pumps, transfer piping, valves, pressure gages, level gages - to store, handle, and deliver this fuel to the power plants and jump drives. other than handling liquid hydrogen this fuel system is similar to any other. included in the fuel systems are external fuel scoops (used to scoop up hydrogen from gas giants as the ship passed through such atmospheres) and the fuel purifier which filters out any impurities in this hydrogen for use in the jump drives. fuel purifiers also can crack fresh or salt water to extract its hydrogen, this water sucked up by dipping pipes or brought in via hoses or flowed in by simply dipping the ship into open water and opening the fuel scoops.
physical description
fuel scoops are simpy valved openings in the ship's hull shaped to maximize hydrogen intake if flying through a gas giant's atmosphere and suitably screened to keep out gross contamination during water intake ops. hoses, pumps, piping and valves control flow of fuel throughout. the fuel purifier itself consists of of electrostatic water crackers and centrifuge purifiers. from there the prepared hydrogen fuel is piped to the ship's various fuel tanks, one or many, and there will be additional piping between tanks. each section of the piping system will have its own flow volume and pressure sensors. in addition to remote electrical control of valve and pump systems almost all ships have at critical points a fuel system manifold (a piping system control panel) through which all piping passes and at which a single operator may manually open and close valves and turn on and off pumps to control fuel distribution throughtout the ship. fuel tanks may be one large tank, or several moderately sized tanks in several locations, or many small tanks throughout the ship. pipe diameter will be sized according to fuel flow requirements - a 100dton scout ship's pipes may be only 1/2 inch in diameter, while a battle rider transport may have piping 12 inches in diameter. in all ships largest diameter piping (and the largest control valves) will be on the pipes that feed the jump drives.
fuel tanks will have access hatches that normally are never opened except during annual overhaul. in smaller tanks these hatches will be only large enough to admit cleaning machinery but larger tanks will have hatches sufficient to admit access to a vacc-suited man.
normal operations
during fuel scooping or water intake operations the fuel purifier must be manned and operated to process the incoming fuel. in most larger ships the fuel distribution process will be automated to evenly distribute fuel to the tanking system but in smaller ships this usually is done manually. fuel may or may not transferred between tanks for balancing at various times. during power plant ops fuel is simply pumped to the power plant at some pre-set rate, and during jump breach ops fuel is pumped to the jump field generators at a rate necessary to generate the breach.
maintenance
fuel systems are fairly simple and little maintenace is necessary other than that associated with manual valves, servo valves, pump motors, and pump impellors. occasionally leaks pr normal wear and tear on valves may require repair or replacement. engineering 1, or mechanical 1 and electronics 1, are sufficient for these routine tasks.
refit/overhaul
other than leak testing of tanks, pipes, valves, and pumps, and recertification of the fuel system as a whole, refit/overhaul for a fuel system is little different from normal maintenance. major replacements are best accomplished at this time.
damage control
hydrogen fuel is profoundly dangerous in three respects. one, if leaks occur within an inhabited compartment the hydrogen displaces breathable air and will suffocate anyone in the compartment. two, if a small leak occurs into an oxygen-containing environment fires and explosions are very possible which will 1) cause casualties and damage by direct fire and explosion and 2) suddenly eliminate enough oxygen in the atmosphere to make it unable to sustain human life. three, leaking hydrogen produces tremendous cryogenic effects on the steel through which it leaks, making it highly susceptible to brittle fracture and fracture propagation resulting in the sudden shattering of entire fuel systems, and making the cold steel extremely dangerous for humans to handle without special equipment. combat or other activity that damages fuel systems and causes ongoing leaks is a major damage control event. damage control consists of identifying and isolating fuel losses, realigning fuel flows such that vital ship systems remain supplied with fuel, and the use of specialty equipment to identify leaks and handle the materials involved without damaging them further and without becoming frozen to the broken gear.
abnormal operations
almost all fuel systems allow the intake of water, fresh or salt, directly into the fuel tanks for later processing by a fuel purifier. all military and some civilian systems are designed to handle fresh water with no immediate difficulty, but salt water is very damaging to any fuel system. salt water should be stored in this manner only if an immediate refit/overhaul of the fuel system is immediately available, otherwise the fuel system will begin to show problems and failures related to mineral deposits, line blockages, pump failures, and overall corrosion. after a fresh water intake refit/overhaul should be performed as soon as practicable.
functional description
starship power plants and jump drives require liquid hydrogen as fuel. virtually all starships and spacegoing vessels have fuel systems - intakes, tanks, pumps, transfer piping, valves, pressure gages, level gages - to store, handle, and deliver this fuel to the power plants and jump drives. other than handling liquid hydrogen this fuel system is similar to any other. included in the fuel systems are external fuel scoops (used to scoop up hydrogen from gas giants as the ship passed through such atmospheres) and the fuel purifier which filters out any impurities in this hydrogen for use in the jump drives. fuel purifiers also can crack fresh or salt water to extract its hydrogen, this water sucked up by dipping pipes or brought in via hoses or flowed in by simply dipping the ship into open water and opening the fuel scoops.
physical description
fuel scoops are simpy valved openings in the ship's hull shaped to maximize hydrogen intake if flying through a gas giant's atmosphere and suitably screened to keep out gross contamination during water intake ops. hoses, pumps, piping and valves control flow of fuel throughout. the fuel purifier itself consists of of electrostatic water crackers and centrifuge purifiers. from there the prepared hydrogen fuel is piped to the ship's various fuel tanks, one or many, and there will be additional piping between tanks. each section of the piping system will have its own flow volume and pressure sensors. in addition to remote electrical control of valve and pump systems almost all ships have at critical points a fuel system manifold (a piping system control panel) through which all piping passes and at which a single operator may manually open and close valves and turn on and off pumps to control fuel distribution throughtout the ship. fuel tanks may be one large tank, or several moderately sized tanks in several locations, or many small tanks throughout the ship. pipe diameter will be sized according to fuel flow requirements - a 100dton scout ship's pipes may be only 1/2 inch in diameter, while a battle rider transport may have piping 12 inches in diameter. in all ships largest diameter piping (and the largest control valves) will be on the pipes that feed the jump drives.
fuel tanks will have access hatches that normally are never opened except during annual overhaul. in smaller tanks these hatches will be only large enough to admit cleaning machinery but larger tanks will have hatches sufficient to admit access to a vacc-suited man.
normal operations
during fuel scooping or water intake operations the fuel purifier must be manned and operated to process the incoming fuel. in most larger ships the fuel distribution process will be automated to evenly distribute fuel to the tanking system but in smaller ships this usually is done manually. fuel may or may not transferred between tanks for balancing at various times. during power plant ops fuel is simply pumped to the power plant at some pre-set rate, and during jump breach ops fuel is pumped to the jump field generators at a rate necessary to generate the breach.
maintenance
fuel systems are fairly simple and little maintenace is necessary other than that associated with manual valves, servo valves, pump motors, and pump impellors. occasionally leaks pr normal wear and tear on valves may require repair or replacement. engineering 1, or mechanical 1 and electronics 1, are sufficient for these routine tasks.
refit/overhaul
other than leak testing of tanks, pipes, valves, and pumps, and recertification of the fuel system as a whole, refit/overhaul for a fuel system is little different from normal maintenance. major replacements are best accomplished at this time.
damage control
hydrogen fuel is profoundly dangerous in three respects. one, if leaks occur within an inhabited compartment the hydrogen displaces breathable air and will suffocate anyone in the compartment. two, if a small leak occurs into an oxygen-containing environment fires and explosions are very possible which will 1) cause casualties and damage by direct fire and explosion and 2) suddenly eliminate enough oxygen in the atmosphere to make it unable to sustain human life. three, leaking hydrogen produces tremendous cryogenic effects on the steel through which it leaks, making it highly susceptible to brittle fracture and fracture propagation resulting in the sudden shattering of entire fuel systems, and making the cold steel extremely dangerous for humans to handle without special equipment. combat or other activity that damages fuel systems and causes ongoing leaks is a major damage control event. damage control consists of identifying and isolating fuel losses, realigning fuel flows such that vital ship systems remain supplied with fuel, and the use of specialty equipment to identify leaks and handle the materials involved without damaging them further and without becoming frozen to the broken gear.
abnormal operations
almost all fuel systems allow the intake of water, fresh or salt, directly into the fuel tanks for later processing by a fuel purifier. all military and some civilian systems are designed to handle fresh water with no immediate difficulty, but salt water is very damaging to any fuel system. salt water should be stored in this manner only if an immediate refit/overhaul of the fuel system is immediately available, otherwise the fuel system will begin to show problems and failures related to mineral deposits, line blockages, pump failures, and overall corrosion. after a fresh water intake refit/overhaul should be performed as soon as practicable.
hatches and airlocks
general physical description
hatches and airlocks allow access through ship exterior and interior bulkheads while maintaining airtight integrity and atmospheric isolation, and also for damage control pourposes such as minimizing contamination or restricting the spread of fire.
there are four kinds of hatches: manual, panel, iris valve, and escape panel.
manual hatches greatly resemble modern naval hatches. in most cases these are human-sized to allow single human access through a bulkhead, but some can be larger to accomodate containers, medical stretchers, or other equipments.
in vertical (walk-through) hatches the opening in the bulkhead is almost always a man-sized oval and is faced with a metal door on hinges that opens towards expected air pressure (thus expected air pressure works to keep them shut). it is latched (dogged) down around the outside edge with several levers which are operated by a hand wheel in the center of the door. to undog the door, spin the wheel one way and the the levers release and retract to allow the door to swing open on its hinges. to dog the door, spin the wheel the other way and the levers advance and pin the door shut against the bulkhead. very large hatches are opened and shut with manual or motorized cable winches. an airtight seal is achieved by a pair of gaskets, one on the lip of the door and one on the rim of the opening, either one of which is sufficient to achieve a standard air seal (defined as no observable air leakage at human standard atmospheric pressure for one week) on the hatch. horizontal (climb up or down via ladder or gravitic column) hatches are almost always round but otherwise are identical to vertical hatches.
exterior hatches and those that must contain hazards usually are quite heavy to endure use and abuse without losing their integrity. interior hatches that are not expected to see heavy traffic usually are fairly light.
panels are used when large items, such as vehicles or cargo containers, must be passed through a bulkhead on a regular basis. typically these are simply large reinforced metal panels that are bolted down over the inside of the bulkhead opening, towards expected air pressure (thus expected air pressure works to keep them shut). most are very heavy to withstand pressurization over their large surfaces and are moved on tracks or runners, typically alongside the bulkhead, either through manual effort or by manual or motorized cable winches. panels have gasket seals identical to hatches. when bolted down panels are very secure and strong, typically stronger than the hull to which they are bolted. panels may be vertical or horizontal.
iris valves use several metal leaves, opening and closing as an old-fashioned camera shutter. these leaves usually extend from and retract into the bulkhead itself, with the machinery necessary to operate them located to one side and out of the way. these are not, and cannot be, as strong as manual hatches, but are ideal for high-traffic areas and for automatic computer-controlled hazard isolation.
escape panels are nothing more than 2' diameter plates bolted to the inside of the hull. they are almost always cut so as to be flush with the outside of the hull, and have simple grip bars mounted on the interior to facilitate lifting the plate. a wrench to unbolt the escape panel is secured to the hull interior nearby. to operate the escape panel the bolts are removed and the panel is lifted away, and that's all. no provision is made for pressure equalization or any other eventuality. usually these panels remain completely undisturbed except at refit/overhaul, when they are removed, their gaskets are replaced, and the panel is re-secured. typically they and their bolts will be sealed with aluminum foil labled with the word "ESCAPE" in large glow-in-the-dark letters.
manual hatches almost always have windows allowing visual inspection of the space on the other side of the hatch. iris valves almost never have such windows. escape panels never do.
airlocks are nothing more than two hatches with a space between them. their most frequent use is to transit between a pressurized and an unpressurized area, or between a safe and a hazardous space. airlocks almost always have a life support module nearby to process the air released into or pumped out of the airlock.
a decon station is an airlock-like space used for decontamination those passing through it. standard decontamination sufficient for most circumstances involves bleach spray and ultraviolet light. decon stations almost always have a life support module nearby to contain and quarantine any contamination obtained in the decon station.
airlocks and decon stations may be combined and usually are.
normal operations
manual hatches and panels are operated manually, either by physical man-handling or by cycling a crankwheel to operate a cable winch. if a motor is used to operate the winch it has a simple switch. motorized versions always incorporate a manual crankwheel for use when power is unavailable.
iris valves are always operated electrically by a simple switch. all incorporate a manual winch for when power is unavailable, but usually this wheel is small and slow.
airlocks and decon stations will have hatch and decon actuators, if any, on a panel inside.
maintenance
maintenance consists of simple electro/mechanical upkeep and repair. all gaskets are replaced and all compartments pressure-checked at annual refit/overhaul. all are easily within mech/electro skill level 1. decon stations should be certified, but normal ship's crew routinely ensure their proper operation without incident.
refit/overhaul
imperial law requires that hatch gasket seals must be replaced and hatches must be pressure checked annually by a certified yard. mechanic skill level 1 is sufficient for this, and it can be done anywhere, but most ships simply can't be bothered to go through the inconvenience and just have the yard do it at annual.
of all maintenance items this one is the most neglected, and of all space incidents failed gaskets kill the most people. the most spectacular accidents are the ones where an inbound ship loses air pressure on the bridge, the crew cannot regain flight control, and the vessel meteors into an inhabited area.
abnormal operations
all hatches will be equipped with pressure sensors and indicators on both sides of the hatch, allowing operators to know conditions on the other side before opening the hatch. very simple systems will have nothing more than mechanical pressure gage dial indicating air pressure differential, while better systems will indicate actual pressure and temperature on both sides. in addition if any pressure differential exists a pressure-differential-operated mechanism will insert a pin into the hatch actuator system, preventing the hatch from being opened. the pin is easily visible and accessible and may be manually moved up out of the hatch actuator system to enable operation of the hatch despite the pressure differential. lastly this system will include a needle valve that may be opened in an attempt to equalize pressure on both sides of the hatch in a slow and controlled manner. the gas passing through the valve may be released into the lower-pressure compartment or vented overboard or redirected to the life support system for recovery.
a hatch that has a pressure differential of only 1 psi may have 1800 lbs of force holding it shut or attempting to push it open. manually opening a hatch into such pressure may be impossible. manually opening a hatch with such pressure will 1) result in a very loud whistling noise as the hatch cracks open and 2) if the operator continues to open it, present a major physical hazard to anyone hit by it.
damage control
hatches, airlocks, and decon stations that take physical damage may be repaired by any mechanic or, if electrical components are involved, by any electronics tech. the task rating of such repairs depends on the level of damage.
hatch gaskets are rated to resist exposure to vaccuum, fire, and chemical decomposition. rubber gaskets are cheap and fairly reliable and last almost forever, metal gaskets are immune to all effects but eventually wear out with hatch cycling.
misc
imperial law requires that at least two manual hatches, not iris valves, must exist between any vaccuum or hazardous condition and living spaces. cargo spaces that have external access via panels may be permitted that single panel if the cargo area is not normally accessed and is not normally a passageway and is isolated from living spaces by another hatch.
general physical description
hatches and airlocks allow access through ship exterior and interior bulkheads while maintaining airtight integrity and atmospheric isolation, and also for damage control pourposes such as minimizing contamination or restricting the spread of fire.
there are four kinds of hatches: manual, panel, iris valve, and escape panel.
manual hatches greatly resemble modern naval hatches. in most cases these are human-sized to allow single human access through a bulkhead, but some can be larger to accomodate containers, medical stretchers, or other equipments.
in vertical (walk-through) hatches the opening in the bulkhead is almost always a man-sized oval and is faced with a metal door on hinges that opens towards expected air pressure (thus expected air pressure works to keep them shut). it is latched (dogged) down around the outside edge with several levers which are operated by a hand wheel in the center of the door. to undog the door, spin the wheel one way and the the levers release and retract to allow the door to swing open on its hinges. to dog the door, spin the wheel the other way and the levers advance and pin the door shut against the bulkhead. very large hatches are opened and shut with manual or motorized cable winches. an airtight seal is achieved by a pair of gaskets, one on the lip of the door and one on the rim of the opening, either one of which is sufficient to achieve a standard air seal (defined as no observable air leakage at human standard atmospheric pressure for one week) on the hatch. horizontal (climb up or down via ladder or gravitic column) hatches are almost always round but otherwise are identical to vertical hatches.
exterior hatches and those that must contain hazards usually are quite heavy to endure use and abuse without losing their integrity. interior hatches that are not expected to see heavy traffic usually are fairly light.
panels are used when large items, such as vehicles or cargo containers, must be passed through a bulkhead on a regular basis. typically these are simply large reinforced metal panels that are bolted down over the inside of the bulkhead opening, towards expected air pressure (thus expected air pressure works to keep them shut). most are very heavy to withstand pressurization over their large surfaces and are moved on tracks or runners, typically alongside the bulkhead, either through manual effort or by manual or motorized cable winches. panels have gasket seals identical to hatches. when bolted down panels are very secure and strong, typically stronger than the hull to which they are bolted. panels may be vertical or horizontal.
iris valves use several metal leaves, opening and closing as an old-fashioned camera shutter. these leaves usually extend from and retract into the bulkhead itself, with the machinery necessary to operate them located to one side and out of the way. these are not, and cannot be, as strong as manual hatches, but are ideal for high-traffic areas and for automatic computer-controlled hazard isolation.
escape panels are nothing more than 2' diameter plates bolted to the inside of the hull. they are almost always cut so as to be flush with the outside of the hull, and have simple grip bars mounted on the interior to facilitate lifting the plate. a wrench to unbolt the escape panel is secured to the hull interior nearby. to operate the escape panel the bolts are removed and the panel is lifted away, and that's all. no provision is made for pressure equalization or any other eventuality. usually these panels remain completely undisturbed except at refit/overhaul, when they are removed, their gaskets are replaced, and the panel is re-secured. typically they and their bolts will be sealed with aluminum foil labled with the word "ESCAPE" in large glow-in-the-dark letters.
manual hatches almost always have windows allowing visual inspection of the space on the other side of the hatch. iris valves almost never have such windows. escape panels never do.
airlocks are nothing more than two hatches with a space between them. their most frequent use is to transit between a pressurized and an unpressurized area, or between a safe and a hazardous space. airlocks almost always have a life support module nearby to process the air released into or pumped out of the airlock.
a decon station is an airlock-like space used for decontamination those passing through it. standard decontamination sufficient for most circumstances involves bleach spray and ultraviolet light. decon stations almost always have a life support module nearby to contain and quarantine any contamination obtained in the decon station.
airlocks and decon stations may be combined and usually are.
normal operations
manual hatches and panels are operated manually, either by physical man-handling or by cycling a crankwheel to operate a cable winch. if a motor is used to operate the winch it has a simple switch. motorized versions always incorporate a manual crankwheel for use when power is unavailable.
iris valves are always operated electrically by a simple switch. all incorporate a manual winch for when power is unavailable, but usually this wheel is small and slow.
airlocks and decon stations will have hatch and decon actuators, if any, on a panel inside.
maintenance
maintenance consists of simple electro/mechanical upkeep and repair. all gaskets are replaced and all compartments pressure-checked at annual refit/overhaul. all are easily within mech/electro skill level 1. decon stations should be certified, but normal ship's crew routinely ensure their proper operation without incident.
refit/overhaul
imperial law requires that hatch gasket seals must be replaced and hatches must be pressure checked annually by a certified yard. mechanic skill level 1 is sufficient for this, and it can be done anywhere, but most ships simply can't be bothered to go through the inconvenience and just have the yard do it at annual.
of all maintenance items this one is the most neglected, and of all space incidents failed gaskets kill the most people. the most spectacular accidents are the ones where an inbound ship loses air pressure on the bridge, the crew cannot regain flight control, and the vessel meteors into an inhabited area.
abnormal operations
all hatches will be equipped with pressure sensors and indicators on both sides of the hatch, allowing operators to know conditions on the other side before opening the hatch. very simple systems will have nothing more than mechanical pressure gage dial indicating air pressure differential, while better systems will indicate actual pressure and temperature on both sides. in addition if any pressure differential exists a pressure-differential-operated mechanism will insert a pin into the hatch actuator system, preventing the hatch from being opened. the pin is easily visible and accessible and may be manually moved up out of the hatch actuator system to enable operation of the hatch despite the pressure differential. lastly this system will include a needle valve that may be opened in an attempt to equalize pressure on both sides of the hatch in a slow and controlled manner. the gas passing through the valve may be released into the lower-pressure compartment or vented overboard or redirected to the life support system for recovery.
a hatch that has a pressure differential of only 1 psi may have 1800 lbs of force holding it shut or attempting to push it open. manually opening a hatch into such pressure may be impossible. manually opening a hatch with such pressure will 1) result in a very loud whistling noise as the hatch cracks open and 2) if the operator continues to open it, present a major physical hazard to anyone hit by it.
damage control
hatches, airlocks, and decon stations that take physical damage may be repaired by any mechanic or, if electrical components are involved, by any electronics tech. the task rating of such repairs depends on the level of damage.
hatch gaskets are rated to resist exposure to vaccuum, fire, and chemical decomposition. rubber gaskets are cheap and fairly reliable and last almost forever, metal gaskets are immune to all effects but eventually wear out with hatch cycling.
misc
imperial law requires that at least two manual hatches, not iris valves, must exist between any vaccuum or hazardous condition and living spaces. cargo spaces that have external access via panels may be permitted that single panel if the cargo area is not normally accessed and is not normally a passageway and is isolated from living spaces by another hatch.
electrical power distribution
operational description
electrical power generated by the power plant flasks is passed through the collection towers to the electrical power distribution system which makes electrical power available to the rest of the ship.
physical description
the electrical power distribution system consists of the power plant collection towers, the cables that transmit the power, and the load centers, control panels, and fuse boxes that control the final distribution of that power to the various equipments. small ships may have nothing more than a fuse box and/or breaker box in engineering, while large ships may have multiple parallel cable systems, multiple load centers with major breakers to control how and when equipment is energized, and many fuse panels to protect equipment from overload or undervoltage conditions. load centers are nothing more than large breaker boxes, frequently located in their own spaces, with (sometimes very) large switches to handle large equipment loads. in addition most ships will have what is known as a "ring bus", meaning electrical power is distributed along two separate lines and load centers may be connected to either line via manual or automatic breakers.
normal operations
power plant collection towers are equipped with manual breakers to connect them to the ship's power distribution system at high voltages. collections towers are designed to operate in parallel, meaning they will share any loading equally among themselves. this power is applied to the "ring bus", designed such that if one loop of the bus is damaged or cut the ship may continue to operate on the power supplied by the other half of the ring. load centers may be manually attached to either side of the ring bus by manual breakers, or may be connected by automatic breakers which will switch to the other side of the ring bus distribution system if one side becomes deenergized. load centers contain large transformers which lower transmission voltages to equipment-safe levels, and collections of breakers which may be manually or automatically opened or shut depending on power needs and which will open automatically if damage to equipments causes too much power drain on the distribution system. load centers may supply power to large equipments directly (such as radar or laser turrets) or to smaller breaker boxes which supply smaller equipments (such as coffee machines and lighting systems).
maintenance
electrical distribution systems are robust and reliable and need little upkeep except for cleaning of contacts and scanning for developing hot spots. electronics 1 is sufficient for this normal routine servicing.
refit/overhaul
distribution systems must be stress-tested, all breakers must be cleaned and cycled, and all contacts must be checked for developing hot spots, during annual overhaul. electronics 2 is sufficient for normal testing, electronics 3 is required to guarantee the proper overhaul and replacement of any problem equipment.
damage control
electrical system damage can be spectacular, and unrepairable with normal crew and supplies, when it occurs. most ships carry spare fuses, cabling, a few smaller breakers, and perhaps one or two larger breakers, for replacing damaged gear. damaged load centers typically are unrepairable, and damaged collection towers and transformers are never repairable, except in shipyard. skilled electronics crew can cobble together makeshift assemblies to deliver power to critical loads, task rating VERY DIFFICULT, but such constructs will be dangerous and unreliable.
abnormal operations
electrical systems are designed to operate with certain equipments within certain parameters and tend to malfunction rapidly outside of those settings. abnormal operations in such systems are rare and typically unsuccessful.
operational description
electrical power generated by the power plant flasks is passed through the collection towers to the electrical power distribution system which makes electrical power available to the rest of the ship.
physical description
the electrical power distribution system consists of the power plant collection towers, the cables that transmit the power, and the load centers, control panels, and fuse boxes that control the final distribution of that power to the various equipments. small ships may have nothing more than a fuse box and/or breaker box in engineering, while large ships may have multiple parallel cable systems, multiple load centers with major breakers to control how and when equipment is energized, and many fuse panels to protect equipment from overload or undervoltage conditions. load centers are nothing more than large breaker boxes, frequently located in their own spaces, with (sometimes very) large switches to handle large equipment loads. in addition most ships will have what is known as a "ring bus", meaning electrical power is distributed along two separate lines and load centers may be connected to either line via manual or automatic breakers.
normal operations
power plant collection towers are equipped with manual breakers to connect them to the ship's power distribution system at high voltages. collections towers are designed to operate in parallel, meaning they will share any loading equally among themselves. this power is applied to the "ring bus", designed such that if one loop of the bus is damaged or cut the ship may continue to operate on the power supplied by the other half of the ring. load centers may be manually attached to either side of the ring bus by manual breakers, or may be connected by automatic breakers which will switch to the other side of the ring bus distribution system if one side becomes deenergized. load centers contain large transformers which lower transmission voltages to equipment-safe levels, and collections of breakers which may be manually or automatically opened or shut depending on power needs and which will open automatically if damage to equipments causes too much power drain on the distribution system. load centers may supply power to large equipments directly (such as radar or laser turrets) or to smaller breaker boxes which supply smaller equipments (such as coffee machines and lighting systems).
maintenance
electrical distribution systems are robust and reliable and need little upkeep except for cleaning of contacts and scanning for developing hot spots. electronics 1 is sufficient for this normal routine servicing.
refit/overhaul
distribution systems must be stress-tested, all breakers must be cleaned and cycled, and all contacts must be checked for developing hot spots, during annual overhaul. electronics 2 is sufficient for normal testing, electronics 3 is required to guarantee the proper overhaul and replacement of any problem equipment.
damage control
electrical system damage can be spectacular, and unrepairable with normal crew and supplies, when it occurs. most ships carry spare fuses, cabling, a few smaller breakers, and perhaps one or two larger breakers, for replacing damaged gear. damaged load centers typically are unrepairable, and damaged collection towers and transformers are never repairable, except in shipyard. skilled electronics crew can cobble together makeshift assemblies to deliver power to critical loads, task rating VERY DIFFICULT, but such constructs will be dangerous and unreliable.
abnormal operations
electrical systems are designed to operate with certain equipments within certain parameters and tend to malfunction rapidly outside of those settings. abnormal operations in such systems are rare and typically unsuccessful.
internal comms
operational description
in advanced tech societies radio or other signal-emitting communication systems are reliable, almost weightless, and ubiquitous, but there are times when physical point-to-point comms, electrical or otherwise, are preferable or are the only comm systems left functioning. their simplest format is two or more physical stations with selectors controlling which stations are to be linked electrically or physically. the simplest powered electrical systems utilize physical push buttons to establish physical connections between physical wires. typically individual stations or groups of stations may be selected as desired. power may be supplied externally or by battery or externally with a battery in reserve, but some systems are powered by the voice of the user driving magnetic induction coils to generate the signal to be transmitted to another station. physical pneumatic piping may utilize air pressure to push containers with messages along the piping to selected destinations. the most primitive of all are simple tubes, with a man shouting at one end and a man listening at the other. each are effective in their own time and way.
further discussion will concern physically hardwired electrical comm systems.
physical description
most physical comm stations consist of nothing more than a box with electronic switches or physical buttons, labled as to their connection capablities. usually a light indicating if power is available, and other lights or other physical signs indicating which stations are connected, are also present. a built-in two-way microphone/speaker is usually present but may be supplemented by headphones and/or a hand microphone. most systems will have noise-cancelling circuitry built-in to allow use in noisy environments.
normal operations
to use, just push the buttons or select the levers for the stations to be addressed. normally it is not necessary to select any operator to hear incoming messages, but there may be a light that flashes when a message is being received.
maintenance
the systems are normal electro/mechanical devices appropriately maintainable by mechanic and electronic skills.
other notes
imperial law requires that all space-going vessels have hard comm systems between the bridge, all gunnery control stations, engineering control, and any exterior access points on the ship. all such systems must be verified as operational during annual overhaul.
operational description
in advanced tech societies radio or other signal-emitting communication systems are reliable, almost weightless, and ubiquitous, but there are times when physical point-to-point comms, electrical or otherwise, are preferable or are the only comm systems left functioning. their simplest format is two or more physical stations with selectors controlling which stations are to be linked electrically or physically. the simplest powered electrical systems utilize physical push buttons to establish physical connections between physical wires. typically individual stations or groups of stations may be selected as desired. power may be supplied externally or by battery or externally with a battery in reserve, but some systems are powered by the voice of the user driving magnetic induction coils to generate the signal to be transmitted to another station. physical pneumatic piping may utilize air pressure to push containers with messages along the piping to selected destinations. the most primitive of all are simple tubes, with a man shouting at one end and a man listening at the other. each are effective in their own time and way.
further discussion will concern physically hardwired electrical comm systems.
physical description
most physical comm stations consist of nothing more than a box with electronic switches or physical buttons, labled as to their connection capablities. usually a light indicating if power is available, and other lights or other physical signs indicating which stations are connected, are also present. a built-in two-way microphone/speaker is usually present but may be supplemented by headphones and/or a hand microphone. most systems will have noise-cancelling circuitry built-in to allow use in noisy environments.
normal operations
to use, just push the buttons or select the levers for the stations to be addressed. normally it is not necessary to select any operator to hear incoming messages, but there may be a light that flashes when a message is being received.
maintenance
the systems are normal electro/mechanical devices appropriately maintainable by mechanic and electronic skills.
other notes
imperial law requires that all space-going vessels have hard comm systems between the bridge, all gunnery control stations, engineering control, and any exterior access points on the ship. all such systems must be verified as operational during annual overhaul.
life support / toilet module
the life support / toilet module not only functions as a toilet, handling all solid and liquid human waste, but also processes exhaled air, scrubbing out excess moisture and carbon dioxide and replenishing oxygen levels and maintaining atmospheric gas ratios and pressures and moisture content and temperatures within limits acceptable to humans. if air pressure becomes lowered the unit automatically maintains O2 levels sufficient to support humans. in addition the unit may be adjusted to maintain any atmosphere not corrosive or insidious, should such atmospheres be required. each unit can continuously support up to 10 normal adult humans. in addition to being a toilet the unit functions as a shower stall, and may be generally cleaned using the shower function.
operational description
for solid waste the unit utilizes water flow to transport the material to the primary treatment tank. while there the waste is sterilized and dessicated, the water being recovered for other uses and the remaining solid waste being deposited in a holding container for later disposal. this holding container is also the receptacle for material recovered from liquid wastes and the carbon extracted by the CO2 cracker unit.
a small control panel displays and allows changing of settings, monitors operational processes and tanks levels, and detects gross contamination problems such as excessive carbon monoxide. sophisticated versions of the life support / toilet module may include systems to monitor for health considerations such as presence of heavy metals or other toxins, perform urinalysis, and check for excessive mold spores or other contaminants that can plague enclosed shipboard environments. luxury versions have sound systems and verbally controlled holo-displays to allow the user to make efficient use of his time.
these units may operate independently, and typically are used to control the environment of individual staterooms, but usually they are ganged into entire systems, controlled by modular processing algorithms in their control panels and sharing water and air and workloads via connecting piping. systems of life support / toilet modules usually store their waste products not on the unit but in another holding tank elsewhere on the ship, allowing more efficient disposal.
the unit operates on outside supplied electrical power but has a battery sufficient to operate all unit components for up to 4 hours, or the air processor alone for up to 48 hours.
physical description
the unit looks like a very large outhouse. the bottom housing is one solid tub of plastic or aluminum to guarantee containment of any leaks. one must step up into the unit and step over a lip to enter the inner tub. in addition to the toilet most units have a spray hose for personal showering and cleaning of the unit.
normal operations
once adjusted to preferred settings little maintenance by the user is necessary. they can even be set to flush themselves automatically. in ganged systems the units will maintain their own water tank levels and ship out wastes on their own, but individual units will require occasional recharging with fresh water and disposal tank emptying - this consists of nothing more than lifting out a plastic container filled with powdered material and replacing the container.
maintenance
these are normal electro-mechanical systems easily maintained with level 1 mechanical and electronics skills. these units have some unique components and special considerations, however, so either specialization in life support systems or higher skill levels are preferred to guarantee proper maintenance.
refit/overhaul
in general life support / toilet modules are not addressed during refit/overhaul.
abnormal operations
uncontrolled leakage of water and corrosive waste products into a shipboard environment are very serious issues. in addition loss of atmospheric control is an immediate emergency. in general, use of a malfunctioning life support / toilet module cannot be permitted until the unit is fully repaired.
other comments
imperial law requires that all space-going vessels have at least one life support / toilet module for every 8 crew and passengers, but most ships greatly exceed this as a matter of course.
the life support / toilet module not only functions as a toilet, handling all solid and liquid human waste, but also processes exhaled air, scrubbing out excess moisture and carbon dioxide and replenishing oxygen levels and maintaining atmospheric gas ratios and pressures and moisture content and temperatures within limits acceptable to humans. if air pressure becomes lowered the unit automatically maintains O2 levels sufficient to support humans. in addition the unit may be adjusted to maintain any atmosphere not corrosive or insidious, should such atmospheres be required. each unit can continuously support up to 10 normal adult humans. in addition to being a toilet the unit functions as a shower stall, and may be generally cleaned using the shower function.
operational description
for solid waste the unit utilizes water flow to transport the material to the primary treatment tank. while there the waste is sterilized and dessicated, the water being recovered for other uses and the remaining solid waste being deposited in a holding container for later disposal. this holding container is also the receptacle for material recovered from liquid wastes and the carbon extracted by the CO2 cracker unit.
a small control panel displays and allows changing of settings, monitors operational processes and tanks levels, and detects gross contamination problems such as excessive carbon monoxide. sophisticated versions of the life support / toilet module may include systems to monitor for health considerations such as presence of heavy metals or other toxins, perform urinalysis, and check for excessive mold spores or other contaminants that can plague enclosed shipboard environments. luxury versions have sound systems and verbally controlled holo-displays to allow the user to make efficient use of his time.
these units may operate independently, and typically are used to control the environment of individual staterooms, but usually they are ganged into entire systems, controlled by modular processing algorithms in their control panels and sharing water and air and workloads via connecting piping. systems of life support / toilet modules usually store their waste products not on the unit but in another holding tank elsewhere on the ship, allowing more efficient disposal.
the unit operates on outside supplied electrical power but has a battery sufficient to operate all unit components for up to 4 hours, or the air processor alone for up to 48 hours.
physical description
the unit looks like a very large outhouse. the bottom housing is one solid tub of plastic or aluminum to guarantee containment of any leaks. one must step up into the unit and step over a lip to enter the inner tub. in addition to the toilet most units have a spray hose for personal showering and cleaning of the unit.
normal operations
once adjusted to preferred settings little maintenance by the user is necessary. they can even be set to flush themselves automatically. in ganged systems the units will maintain their own water tank levels and ship out wastes on their own, but individual units will require occasional recharging with fresh water and disposal tank emptying - this consists of nothing more than lifting out a plastic container filled with powdered material and replacing the container.
maintenance
these are normal electro-mechanical systems easily maintained with level 1 mechanical and electronics skills. these units have some unique components and special considerations, however, so either specialization in life support systems or higher skill levels are preferred to guarantee proper maintenance.
refit/overhaul
in general life support / toilet modules are not addressed during refit/overhaul.
abnormal operations
uncontrolled leakage of water and corrosive waste products into a shipboard environment are very serious issues. in addition loss of atmospheric control is an immediate emergency. in general, use of a malfunctioning life support / toilet module cannot be permitted until the unit is fully repaired.
other comments
imperial law requires that all space-going vessels have at least one life support / toilet module for every 8 crew and passengers, but most ships greatly exceed this as a matter of course.
lowberths
operational description
in space travel a conscious active person takes up much space and resources, and frequently contributes little in the way of productive performance. people who spend much time in space find they are spending this period of their lives just sitting around waiting for the journey to end. many people would prefer to spend space travel time sleeping, passing the journey without the days counting against their lives.
lowberths enable human hibernation. done correctly with the proper tools and procedures a tour in a lowberth is as safe as taking a nap. the passenger is prepped and placed in a lowberth, where he "falls asleep". when the journey is over, whether it has lasted only a week or many months, he is awakened feeling as if he fell asleep only a moment ago.
physical description
a lowberth greatly resembles a life support / toilet module. in fact it largely is one, having systems to process and recirculate breating air in the booth. it has a conformal seat, usually plastic, in which the occupant sits. below the seat are stored the tanks and pumps for the various refrigerants used in lowberths, and in the overhead are the various monitoring electronics and equipments that maintain proper conditions within the booth. the booth has it's own access door, pressure-tight to retain sufficient atmosphere in a casualty event, and usually glass or plastic. the lowberth may then be placed in an alcove with its own door, usually opaque, so occupants don't feel "stared at". all booths are openable from inside or outside, and most have some kind of interior control panel and comm system and "panic button" in case the occupant regains consciousness ahead of schedule. also all have external control panels that externally display passenger condition.
normal operations
preparation for long-term lowberth occupancy begins 36 hours previous. the passenger takes various stimulants to cleanse the bowels thoroughly, and various drugs to minimize the vast number of microorganisms that ride the human body. upon arrival at the lowberth the passenger also takes a mouthwash to eliminate oral bacteria and is injected with various drugs to stabilize his internal systems and prepare his brain for the hibernation. the passenger, now becoming sleepy, then strips of all clothing and seats himself in the booth. he is outfitted with a strap around his chest to monitor breathing, a strap around his wrist to monitor his heartbeat, and a simple electrode cap to monitor brain activity. as the occupant slips into unconsciousness the doors are shut and the lowberth systems bring booth temperature down to 40-35F, gradually cooling the passenger as well, and in-booth gravity is reduced almost to zero to eliminate compression injuries. heartbeat and respiration will slip down to 1/minute, and except for the occasional dream state ekg readings will indicate a deep coma. and that is where the passenger stays for the duration of his journey.
lowberth states are 100% safe and recoverable for up to six months, and even hibernations of up to a year seldom present problems. past one year some issues become apparent - memories may be lost, internal or external infections may develop, corneas may detach, and some arthritis may occur - but even these are uncommon. individuals properly prepared and properly placed in properly functioning low berths exibit a major medical problem rate of .01 for each five years in hibernation. individuals who are to remain in hibernation periods longer than six months may avoid any problems by simply hibernating six months at a time with a two week break and medical examination between sleeping periods. some individuals have been known to hibernate in this manner for 40 years with no observed medical or psychological issues.
if a lowberth detects that a passenger is regaining consciousnees ahead of schedule, whatever the reason, it will cease its refrigerant function gradually to allow the passenger to function better when he awakens. rarely some passengers have been known to suddenly regain consciousness while still chilled, usually because of great pain because of a developing infection. most return to hibernation but some are able to push the panic button even in this state. if the panic button is pushed the lowberth will cease its refrigerant function gradually and return the passenger to a normal temperature state.
normal recovery requires bringing up body temperature to normal levels followed by increasing mental activity and pulse/respiration rates followed by recovering consciousness. recovery times vary by individual - some youths recover in a few minutes while older persons may take two hours to stand and a full day to resume normal activities.
the above procedures are for long hibernations, but preparations for short hibernations of less than two weeks are much more abreviated. for such short periods nothing more than a pill and an injection upon arrival at the booth, and a loosening of clothing, are sufficient to prep for the sleep. recovery periods for this rapid insertion range from a few minutes for healthy young people to an hour for older folks.
maintenance
lowberths are very similar to life support / toilet modules and require similar maintance skills.
refit/overhaul
lowberths intended to carry passengers must receive full testing, calibration, and certification each year at ship overhaul. economically and technically this is not a great matter, but legally it is a major consideration. lowberths which are not properly certified may be ripped out immediately and without compensation by any authorized inspecting personnel.
abnormal operations
in general lowberths either work or they don't. if a lowberth loses its refrigerant capabilities the occupant gradually will regain consciousness, though he will be greatly inhibited by the drugs that remain in his system. eventually he will either push the panic button to summon aid or will simply step (or more usually fall) out of the booth. if a lowberth's life support features fail then eventually the occupant will die, but if the monitoring systems are functioning they will sound an alarm many hours before any permanent damage occurs to the occupant.
the lowberth operates on external power, but has a battery capable of operating the lowberth for up to two weeks. if available power approaches minimum the lowberth will launch a wake-up cycle and bring up its occupant.
it is quite possible for a lowberth occupant to awaken and recover with no outside support available. this is not safe, especially if the passenger is older, but it happens frequently enough that it is considered merely abnormal and not an emergency situation.
other comments
for crew, the lowberth drug regimin and recovery assistance may be supported by level 1 (emt) medical personnel properly trained and certified in the drugs involved. imperial law requires that all passenger lowberth accomodations be accompanied by level 2 (paramedic) personnel also properly trained and certified in the drugs involved, one for each 20 occupied lowberths.
operational description
in space travel a conscious active person takes up much space and resources, and frequently contributes little in the way of productive performance. people who spend much time in space find they are spending this period of their lives just sitting around waiting for the journey to end. many people would prefer to spend space travel time sleeping, passing the journey without the days counting against their lives.
lowberths enable human hibernation. done correctly with the proper tools and procedures a tour in a lowberth is as safe as taking a nap. the passenger is prepped and placed in a lowberth, where he "falls asleep". when the journey is over, whether it has lasted only a week or many months, he is awakened feeling as if he fell asleep only a moment ago.
physical description
a lowberth greatly resembles a life support / toilet module. in fact it largely is one, having systems to process and recirculate breating air in the booth. it has a conformal seat, usually plastic, in which the occupant sits. below the seat are stored the tanks and pumps for the various refrigerants used in lowberths, and in the overhead are the various monitoring electronics and equipments that maintain proper conditions within the booth. the booth has it's own access door, pressure-tight to retain sufficient atmosphere in a casualty event, and usually glass or plastic. the lowberth may then be placed in an alcove with its own door, usually opaque, so occupants don't feel "stared at". all booths are openable from inside or outside, and most have some kind of interior control panel and comm system and "panic button" in case the occupant regains consciousness ahead of schedule. also all have external control panels that externally display passenger condition.
normal operations
preparation for long-term lowberth occupancy begins 36 hours previous. the passenger takes various stimulants to cleanse the bowels thoroughly, and various drugs to minimize the vast number of microorganisms that ride the human body. upon arrival at the lowberth the passenger also takes a mouthwash to eliminate oral bacteria and is injected with various drugs to stabilize his internal systems and prepare his brain for the hibernation. the passenger, now becoming sleepy, then strips of all clothing and seats himself in the booth. he is outfitted with a strap around his chest to monitor breathing, a strap around his wrist to monitor his heartbeat, and a simple electrode cap to monitor brain activity. as the occupant slips into unconsciousness the doors are shut and the lowberth systems bring booth temperature down to 40-35F, gradually cooling the passenger as well, and in-booth gravity is reduced almost to zero to eliminate compression injuries. heartbeat and respiration will slip down to 1/minute, and except for the occasional dream state ekg readings will indicate a deep coma. and that is where the passenger stays for the duration of his journey.
lowberth states are 100% safe and recoverable for up to six months, and even hibernations of up to a year seldom present problems. past one year some issues become apparent - memories may be lost, internal or external infections may develop, corneas may detach, and some arthritis may occur - but even these are uncommon. individuals properly prepared and properly placed in properly functioning low berths exibit a major medical problem rate of .01 for each five years in hibernation. individuals who are to remain in hibernation periods longer than six months may avoid any problems by simply hibernating six months at a time with a two week break and medical examination between sleeping periods. some individuals have been known to hibernate in this manner for 40 years with no observed medical or psychological issues.
if a lowberth detects that a passenger is regaining consciousnees ahead of schedule, whatever the reason, it will cease its refrigerant function gradually to allow the passenger to function better when he awakens. rarely some passengers have been known to suddenly regain consciousness while still chilled, usually because of great pain because of a developing infection. most return to hibernation but some are able to push the panic button even in this state. if the panic button is pushed the lowberth will cease its refrigerant function gradually and return the passenger to a normal temperature state.
normal recovery requires bringing up body temperature to normal levels followed by increasing mental activity and pulse/respiration rates followed by recovering consciousness. recovery times vary by individual - some youths recover in a few minutes while older persons may take two hours to stand and a full day to resume normal activities.
the above procedures are for long hibernations, but preparations for short hibernations of less than two weeks are much more abreviated. for such short periods nothing more than a pill and an injection upon arrival at the booth, and a loosening of clothing, are sufficient to prep for the sleep. recovery periods for this rapid insertion range from a few minutes for healthy young people to an hour for older folks.
maintenance
lowberths are very similar to life support / toilet modules and require similar maintance skills.
refit/overhaul
lowberths intended to carry passengers must receive full testing, calibration, and certification each year at ship overhaul. economically and technically this is not a great matter, but legally it is a major consideration. lowberths which are not properly certified may be ripped out immediately and without compensation by any authorized inspecting personnel.
abnormal operations
in general lowberths either work or they don't. if a lowberth loses its refrigerant capabilities the occupant gradually will regain consciousness, though he will be greatly inhibited by the drugs that remain in his system. eventually he will either push the panic button to summon aid or will simply step (or more usually fall) out of the booth. if a lowberth's life support features fail then eventually the occupant will die, but if the monitoring systems are functioning they will sound an alarm many hours before any permanent damage occurs to the occupant.
the lowberth operates on external power, but has a battery capable of operating the lowberth for up to two weeks. if available power approaches minimum the lowberth will launch a wake-up cycle and bring up its occupant.
it is quite possible for a lowberth occupant to awaken and recover with no outside support available. this is not safe, especially if the passenger is older, but it happens frequently enough that it is considered merely abnormal and not an emergency situation.
other comments
for crew, the lowberth drug regimin and recovery assistance may be supported by level 1 (emt) medical personnel properly trained and certified in the drugs involved. imperial law requires that all passenger lowberth accomodations be accompanied by level 2 (paramedic) personnel also properly trained and certified in the drugs involved, one for each 20 occupied lowberths.
emergency lowberths
operational description
in emergency situations, when a ship has become uninhabitable and unrecoverable, personnel may rapidly retire to a hibernation state to await possible rescue. while full service lowberths may fill this role emergency lowberths cost far less and take up far less space. they are designed for emergency use only and thus lack the full monitoring and response equipment of the larger versions. they also lack any internal controls, the presumption being that one occupies the booth because there is nowhere else to go, thus the only way out is by external rescue. the major difference between a full service lowberth and an emergency lowberth is that the emergency lowberth requires far less power to operate and has a much larger emergency battery, capable of supporting the berth for one full year.
physical description
these resemble normal lowberths, except they are 1/2 the width, and instead of sitting down one slides into the berth standing up. pertinent hibernation drugs are located in the booth itself, standing by for emergency use.
normal operations
the occupant slides into the booth, shuts the door, takes the pills to stabilize his internal organs, injects himself with the blood drugs with an auto-injector to stabilize his circulatory system, turns on the refrigerant system, and waits for the hibernation state to set in. personnel who need help with preparation may be assisted by someone outside the booth before the door is shut.
after one month, recovery from emergency lowberth hibernation is a medical crisis. survival rates for unassisted recovery are low. medically assisted survival of the event is a DIFFICULT task rating for involved medical personnel. complications and permanent issues are common, avoiding them is a VERY DIFFICULT task rating for involved medical personnel.
maintenance, refit/overhaul, damage control, abnormal operations
emergency lowberths are otherwise identical to full service lowberths, except there is no legal requirement for medical personnel.
operational description
in emergency situations, when a ship has become uninhabitable and unrecoverable, personnel may rapidly retire to a hibernation state to await possible rescue. while full service lowberths may fill this role emergency lowberths cost far less and take up far less space. they are designed for emergency use only and thus lack the full monitoring and response equipment of the larger versions. they also lack any internal controls, the presumption being that one occupies the booth because there is nowhere else to go, thus the only way out is by external rescue. the major difference between a full service lowberth and an emergency lowberth is that the emergency lowberth requires far less power to operate and has a much larger emergency battery, capable of supporting the berth for one full year.
physical description
these resemble normal lowberths, except they are 1/2 the width, and instead of sitting down one slides into the berth standing up. pertinent hibernation drugs are located in the booth itself, standing by for emergency use.
normal operations
the occupant slides into the booth, shuts the door, takes the pills to stabilize his internal organs, injects himself with the blood drugs with an auto-injector to stabilize his circulatory system, turns on the refrigerant system, and waits for the hibernation state to set in. personnel who need help with preparation may be assisted by someone outside the booth before the door is shut.
after one month, recovery from emergency lowberth hibernation is a medical crisis. survival rates for unassisted recovery are low. medically assisted survival of the event is a DIFFICULT task rating for involved medical personnel. complications and permanent issues are common, avoiding them is a VERY DIFFICULT task rating for involved medical personnel.
maintenance, refit/overhaul, damage control, abnormal operations
emergency lowberths are otherwise identical to full service lowberths, except there is no legal requirement for medical personnel.
gravitic holobooths
operational description
gravitic holobooths utilize localized and focused gravitic "force', holographic projections, and full-range auditories, to present a single user with a fully tactile, immersive, and interactive simulation of reality, or any level of reality comprehensible to a human. several centuries of programming is available for these devices. entertainment ranges from "Wilderness Hunting on Porozlo" to "The Adventures of First Sergeant Bucky Hardcore". Training spans all manner of technical, combat, and personal subjects from the famous "Lunion/Strouden Shipboard Damage Control School" to the equally famous "Get Tight" weight training school with its primitive graphics but awesome background music. for group training any number of individual holobooths may be linked to a local net for group interaction.
physical description
holobooths are simple 2 dton spaces lined with grav- and holo-projectors. usually they are sold as independent modules but may be built into any space. simple independent versions may contain their own processors and keypads or voice controls, but usually they are tied into an exterior computer which handles all of the simulation calculations.
normal operations
simply walk in, select/verbalize a program, and begin. to end, almost all holobooths will respond to any typical human negation such as "quit", "stop", "end", or even tapping on the physical or holo floor of the simulator.
maintenance
holobooths are mostly electronic devices and electronics skill is applicable to normal maintenance and repairs. a damaged booth may require repairs to its gravitics systems and gravitics skill equally applies.
imperial law
holobooths have occasionally been the scene of fatal accidents and even assassinations. imperial law requires that limiting code, limiting electronics, and physical safeties be present and readily accessible for inspection by the user in all holobooths.
operational description
gravitic holobooths utilize localized and focused gravitic "force', holographic projections, and full-range auditories, to present a single user with a fully tactile, immersive, and interactive simulation of reality, or any level of reality comprehensible to a human. several centuries of programming is available for these devices. entertainment ranges from "Wilderness Hunting on Porozlo" to "The Adventures of First Sergeant Bucky Hardcore". Training spans all manner of technical, combat, and personal subjects from the famous "Lunion/Strouden Shipboard Damage Control School" to the equally famous "Get Tight" weight training school with its primitive graphics but awesome background music. for group training any number of individual holobooths may be linked to a local net for group interaction.
physical description
holobooths are simple 2 dton spaces lined with grav- and holo-projectors. usually they are sold as independent modules but may be built into any space. simple independent versions may contain their own processors and keypads or voice controls, but usually they are tied into an exterior computer which handles all of the simulation calculations.
normal operations
simply walk in, select/verbalize a program, and begin. to end, almost all holobooths will respond to any typical human negation such as "quit", "stop", "end", or even tapping on the physical or holo floor of the simulator.
maintenance
holobooths are mostly electronic devices and electronics skill is applicable to normal maintenance and repairs. a damaged booth may require repairs to its gravitics systems and gravitics skill equally applies.
imperial law
holobooths have occasionally been the scene of fatal accidents and even assassinations. imperial law requires that limiting code, limiting electronics, and physical safeties be present and readily accessible for inspection by the user in all holobooths.
maybe not appropriate, but the boat has a lot of crew so I thought I'd toss in a few npc's. won't include many names, that's for your own games.
administrator (name)
666BBB, age 42
glisten march, marasten
iss bureaucracy, administrator
captain, iss lu hao
skills
soft vacc suit / 0G 1
pilot 2*(0,A)
engineering 1, ship's gunnery 1
wilderness 1
leader 2, liaison 1, administration 2*(operations,logistics)
sidearm 1, combatives 1
ship tactics 2*(0,A)
history
imperial scout service, field/office
tour 1) flight school, pilot, specilization in rates 0 and A (0<->2000 dtons)
general shipboard duties
tour 2) administration school, administration, specilization in operations and logistics
general scout administrative duties
tour 3) cross-rate navy, war college, ship tactics, specialization in rates 0 and A (0<->2000 dtons)
lead pilot, ship lead
tour 4) line fleet scout director administrator
tour 5) line fleet scout director
tour 6) general scout administrative duties, yard lead
scouts usually operate in small teams with very informal structures, but the lu hao is one of the larger vessels in the iss inventory and not suitable for such a culture. it was decided that a scout with naval experience might be the best choice to bridge the gap between scout culture and larger ship operations. (name) was a natural choice. there was some discussion as to how he was to be addressed - as ship lead or as captain - resolved in that he was to be addressed as captain.
(name) is a natural leader who prefers face-to-face contact, but in administrator school he focused on operations and logistics in the belief that that was the best way to advance individuals in the field. while he was a lead pilot and ship lead for a line fleet the attached scouts suffered inordinate casualties. the navy sent him to tactical school in an effort to relieve this, and it helped, moreso after he became the scout director of the line fleet. he remembers this time and he is a bit more cautious than is typical for a scout.
(name) grew up a farmboy on marasten.
administrator (name)
666BBB, age 42
glisten march, marasten
iss bureaucracy, administrator
captain, iss lu hao
skills
soft vacc suit / 0G 1
pilot 2*(0,A)
engineering 1, ship's gunnery 1
wilderness 1
leader 2, liaison 1, administration 2*(operations,logistics)
sidearm 1, combatives 1
ship tactics 2*(0,A)
history
imperial scout service, field/office
tour 1) flight school, pilot, specilization in rates 0 and A (0<->2000 dtons)
general shipboard duties
tour 2) administration school, administration, specilization in operations and logistics
general scout administrative duties
tour 3) cross-rate navy, war college, ship tactics, specialization in rates 0 and A (0<->2000 dtons)
lead pilot, ship lead
tour 4) line fleet scout director administrator
tour 5) line fleet scout director
tour 6) general scout administrative duties, yard lead
scouts usually operate in small teams with very informal structures, but the lu hao is one of the larger vessels in the iss inventory and not suitable for such a culture. it was decided that a scout with naval experience might be the best choice to bridge the gap between scout culture and larger ship operations. (name) was a natural choice. there was some discussion as to how he was to be addressed - as ship lead or as captain - resolved in that he was to be addressed as captain.
(name) is a natural leader who prefers face-to-face contact, but in administrator school he focused on operations and logistics in the belief that that was the best way to advance individuals in the field. while he was a lead pilot and ship lead for a line fleet the attached scouts suffered inordinate casualties. the navy sent him to tactical school in an effort to relieve this, and it helped, moreso after he became the scout director of the line fleet. he remembers this time and he is a bit more cautious than is typical for a scout.
(name) grew up a farmboy on marasten.
commander (name)
777BBB, age 38
trin march, trin's veil
imperial navy, line officer
executive officer, iss lu hao
skills
soft vacc suit / 0G 1
ship's gunnery 2*(meson,mesonScreen), engineering 1, pilot 1
leader 2*(departments), administration 2, liason 2
sidearm 1
ship tactics 2*(A,K)
history
imperial navy, line officer
tour 1) naval ship's gunnery school, specialization in meson guns and meson screens
rider cherry-class, power plant division officer
tour 2) naval officers' school, leadership, specialization in heading departments
rider kurashk-class, meson screen division officer
tour 3) naval officers' school, ship tactics, specialization in rates A and K (2000<->20,000 dtons)
rider allosaurus-class, meson spinal gun division officer
tour 4) rider allosaurus-class, meson section department head
tour 5) admiral's aide, rider cherry-class executive officer
commander (name) is a solid officer and leading candidate for command of an allosaurus, and his goal is rear admiral in command of a line fleet. at this point he was slotted for the captaincy of a cherry-class destroyer but he has been diverted to another tour as xo, this time of a scout boat, to, in the navy's view, provide a steady hand for the scout bureaucrat leading it (the navy can't quite bring itself to describe him as commanding it.). commander (name) doesn't think much of the casual scout culture and has some misgivings about this assignment, but on a postive note he sees it as an opportunity to step from xo of a larger ship straight to command of an allosaurus, and given the captain's good record with the imperial navy he is willing to give this a chance.
777BBB, age 38
trin march, trin's veil
imperial navy, line officer
executive officer, iss lu hao
skills
soft vacc suit / 0G 1
ship's gunnery 2*(meson,mesonScreen), engineering 1, pilot 1
leader 2*(departments), administration 2, liason 2
sidearm 1
ship tactics 2*(A,K)
history
imperial navy, line officer
tour 1) naval ship's gunnery school, specialization in meson guns and meson screens
rider cherry-class, power plant division officer
tour 2) naval officers' school, leadership, specialization in heading departments
rider kurashk-class, meson screen division officer
tour 3) naval officers' school, ship tactics, specialization in rates A and K (2000<->20,000 dtons)
rider allosaurus-class, meson spinal gun division officer
tour 4) rider allosaurus-class, meson section department head
tour 5) admiral's aide, rider cherry-class executive officer
commander (name) is a solid officer and leading candidate for command of an allosaurus, and his goal is rear admiral in command of a line fleet. at this point he was slotted for the captaincy of a cherry-class destroyer but he has been diverted to another tour as xo, this time of a scout boat, to, in the navy's view, provide a steady hand for the scout bureaucrat leading it (the navy can't quite bring itself to describe him as commanding it.). commander (name) doesn't think much of the casual scout culture and has some misgivings about this assignment, but on a postive note he sees it as an opportunity to step from xo of a larger ship straight to command of an allosaurus, and given the captain's good record with the imperial navy he is willing to give this a chance.
lady lora lei, knight retained
8BBCDD, chronological age 46 / (regeneration 26 years) physical age 20
lunion county, strouden
imperial nobility/citizen, knight
senior pilot, iss lu hao
skills
soft vacc suit / 0G 2
pilot 3* (A,K), navigation 1
engineering 1, mechanics 1, shipboard damage control 1
equestrian 3*(horse), wilderness 1
leader 1, liaison 1, instructor 2 (pilot, sidearm, equestrian)
sidearm 3*(revolver), combatives 2
reconaisance 1
history
imperial scout service, field
tour 1) flight school, pilot, specialization in rates A and K (2000<->20,000 dtons)
general flight duties
tour 2) intel school, firearms, sidearm, specialization in standard issue scout revolver
general flight duties
tour 3) contact school, equestrian, specialization in terran horse
general flight duties
tour 4) wilderness operations
tour 5) wilderness operations
tour 6) wilderness operations
tour 7) scout academy instructor
elevation to nobility
physically young but one of the older crew members. typical strouden, pleasant and easy-going but a focused and professional flight officer. will expect nobility protocol on the few occasions where it is called for but otherwise just a scout and an equal member of the crew who will prefer to be addressed as "lora" or if necessary "senior pilot lei". a natural instructor, will see to the ship's pilots' continuing flight training and will instruct anyone in firearms or horsemanship if she has time. explains putting in for the senior pilot slot on the lu hao with "in the ISS I always have been locked into some local assignment and I wanted finally to explore something before I returned home to strouden." lady lei's official scout service record says little about her 4th, 5th, and 6th tours - in fact her entire official record is a bit vague - but elevation to the nobility and easement for full physical restoration and regeneration usually are the result of several extraordinary actions. in full dress uniform she wears two imperial purple hearts, a scout service wilderness pin, a scout academy instructor bar, and the iron cross of lunion/strouden.
(knight retained is not an honorary rank but a full citizen of the imperium proper. usually these have no formal position in the imperial citizenship structure but are "on-call" for assignment as needed.)
8BBCDD, chronological age 46 / (regeneration 26 years) physical age 20
lunion county, strouden
imperial nobility/citizen, knight
senior pilot, iss lu hao
skills
soft vacc suit / 0G 2
pilot 3* (A,K), navigation 1
engineering 1, mechanics 1, shipboard damage control 1
equestrian 3*(horse), wilderness 1
leader 1, liaison 1, instructor 2 (pilot, sidearm, equestrian)
sidearm 3*(revolver), combatives 2
reconaisance 1
history
imperial scout service, field
tour 1) flight school, pilot, specialization in rates A and K (2000<->20,000 dtons)
general flight duties
tour 2) intel school, firearms, sidearm, specialization in standard issue scout revolver
general flight duties
tour 3) contact school, equestrian, specialization in terran horse
general flight duties
tour 4) wilderness operations
tour 5) wilderness operations
tour 6) wilderness operations
tour 7) scout academy instructor
elevation to nobility
physically young but one of the older crew members. typical strouden, pleasant and easy-going but a focused and professional flight officer. will expect nobility protocol on the few occasions where it is called for but otherwise just a scout and an equal member of the crew who will prefer to be addressed as "lora" or if necessary "senior pilot lei". a natural instructor, will see to the ship's pilots' continuing flight training and will instruct anyone in firearms or horsemanship if she has time. explains putting in for the senior pilot slot on the lu hao with "in the ISS I always have been locked into some local assignment and I wanted finally to explore something before I returned home to strouden." lady lei's official scout service record says little about her 4th, 5th, and 6th tours - in fact her entire official record is a bit vague - but elevation to the nobility and easement for full physical restoration and regeneration usually are the result of several extraordinary actions. in full dress uniform she wears two imperial purple hearts, a scout service wilderness pin, a scout academy instructor bar, and the iron cross of lunion/strouden.
(knight retained is not an honorary rank but a full citizen of the imperium proper. usually these have no formal position in the imperial citizenship structure but are "on-call" for assignment as needed.)
scout (name)
777cc7, age 38
five sisters district / karin
iss field
senior navigator, iss lu hao
soft vacc suit / 0G 1
navigation 3*, pilot 1
computer 2*(navigation,sensors), electronics 2*(navigation,sensors)
liaison 1, administration 1
archery 2
cold-hearted towards the imperium that occupies his homeworld, (name) has nonetheless proven efficient and effective in the ISS and is an excellent and highly experienced navigator. he was the natural choice for this position, and he personally seems to welcome the opportunity to exercise his skills in this (for the scouts) advanced vessel.
777cc7, age 38
five sisters district / karin
iss field
senior navigator, iss lu hao
soft vacc suit / 0G 1
navigation 3*, pilot 1
computer 2*(navigation,sensors), electronics 2*(navigation,sensors)
liaison 1, administration 1
archery 2
cold-hearted towards the imperium that occupies his homeworld, (name) has nonetheless proven efficient and effective in the ISS and is an excellent and highly experienced navigator. he was the natural choice for this position, and he personally seems to welcome the opportunity to exercise his skills in this (for the scouts) advanced vessel.
scout (name)
777cc7, age 30
glisten march, glisten
iss field
2nd navigator, iss lu hao
soft vacc suit 1
navigation 2*, pilot 1
medical 2* (electronics,navigation), electronics 2* (medical,navigation)
the latest in a series of cyborg experimentals pursued by glisten, (name) is implanted with various systems that enable him to interface, via radio and induction and physical jack, directly with ships' navigation and computation systems on an "intuitive" level. one of his many interesting capabilities is his process of "feeling" his way through jump space and directly guiding the jump drives as they create the path that the ship will follow during jump. while held in suspicion by the rest of the crew his unorthodox method has proven itself, and he has been selected for this vessel by senior members of the ISS bureaucracy to see how well he does with routine 4-parsec jumps.
777cc7, age 30
glisten march, glisten
iss field
2nd navigator, iss lu hao
soft vacc suit 1
navigation 2*, pilot 1
medical 2* (electronics,navigation), electronics 2* (medical,navigation)
the latest in a series of cyborg experimentals pursued by glisten, (name) is implanted with various systems that enable him to interface, via radio and induction and physical jack, directly with ships' navigation and computation systems on an "intuitive" level. one of his many interesting capabilities is his process of "feeling" his way through jump space and directly guiding the jump drives as they create the path that the ship will follow during jump. while held in suspicion by the rest of the crew his unorthodox method has proven itself, and he has been selected for this vessel by senior members of the ISS bureaucracy to see how well he does with routine 4-parsec jumps.
scout (name)
777AA7, age 34
mora march, fornice
iss field
lead deck engineer, iss lu hao
skills
vacc suit / 0G 2* (soft vacc suit, hazardous environment suit)
mechanics 2* (power plant, maneuver drive), engineering 2* (power plant, maneuver drive)
damage control 2* (engineering)
leader 1, administration 2
history
imperial scout service, field
tour 1) engineering school, mechanics specilizing in power plant and maneuver drives
general engineering duties
tour 2) engineering school, engineering specilizing in power plant and maneuver drives
general engineering duties
tour 3) engineering school, damage control specializing in engineering damage control
maneveur drive lead
tour 4) power plant lead
by ISS tradition the lead power plant engineer is the lead deck engineer, in charge of the power plant, maneuver, and fuel system engineering teams, and (name) fills that role with panache. Always in full dress scout uniform complete with blood red sash, silver buttons, silver embroidery, and stout campaign boots, he tops it off with a large wide-brimmed cavalry hat complete with an avian's feather. never afraid to jump in to heavy engineering work that ruins his outfit, he seems to have endless sartorial replacements. despite his parade style he is a good administrator as well.
777AA7, age 34
mora march, fornice
iss field
lead deck engineer, iss lu hao
skills
vacc suit / 0G 2* (soft vacc suit, hazardous environment suit)
mechanics 2* (power plant, maneuver drive), engineering 2* (power plant, maneuver drive)
damage control 2* (engineering)
leader 1, administration 2
history
imperial scout service, field
tour 1) engineering school, mechanics specilizing in power plant and maneuver drives
general engineering duties
tour 2) engineering school, engineering specilizing in power plant and maneuver drives
general engineering duties
tour 3) engineering school, damage control specializing in engineering damage control
maneveur drive lead
tour 4) power plant lead
by ISS tradition the lead power plant engineer is the lead deck engineer, in charge of the power plant, maneuver, and fuel system engineering teams, and (name) fills that role with panache. Always in full dress scout uniform complete with blood red sash, silver buttons, silver embroidery, and stout campaign boots, he tops it off with a large wide-brimmed cavalry hat complete with an avian's feather. never afraid to jump in to heavy engineering work that ruins his outfit, he seems to have endless sartorial replacements. despite his parade style he is a good administrator as well.
six deck engineers
777AA7, all aged 30
junidy county, junidy
iss field
deck engineers, iss lu hao
skills
soft vacc suit / 0G 2
mechanics 2* (power plant, maneuver drive), electronics 2* (power plant, maneuver drive)
engineering 2* (power plant, maneuver drive)
history
tour 1) engineering school, mechanics/electronics specilizing in power plant and maneuver drives
scout academy power plant operations
tour 2) engineering school, electronics/mechanics specilizing in power plant and maneuver drives
karin orbital scout base power plant and maneuver operations
tour 3) engineering school, engineering specilizing in power plant and maneuver drives
jewell orbital scout base repair facility power plant and maneuver operations
this group marriage of judys function as one engineering team specializing in deck ops - power plant and maneuver drive operations. three males and three females, their sexes are readily distinguishable but otherwise they are quite similar, uniformly bald heads and purple engineering uniforms, lining up for assembly in male/female patterns, sometimes answering in unison, cooperating easily and sometimes finishing each others' actions and sentences. many of their shipmates find them creepy but their expertise is undeniable, they are uniformly pleasant and cooperative with other crewmen, and they have been successful in all their assignments to date. this is their first jump ship assignment and they all look forward to all of them seeing the universe together as a team.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSedE5sU3uc
777AA7, all aged 30
junidy county, junidy
iss field
deck engineers, iss lu hao
skills
soft vacc suit / 0G 2
mechanics 2* (power plant, maneuver drive), electronics 2* (power plant, maneuver drive)
engineering 2* (power plant, maneuver drive)
history
tour 1) engineering school, mechanics/electronics specilizing in power plant and maneuver drives
scout academy power plant operations
tour 2) engineering school, electronics/mechanics specilizing in power plant and maneuver drives
karin orbital scout base power plant and maneuver operations
tour 3) engineering school, engineering specilizing in power plant and maneuver drives
jewell orbital scout base repair facility power plant and maneuver operations
this group marriage of judys function as one engineering team specializing in deck ops - power plant and maneuver drive operations. three males and three females, their sexes are readily distinguishable but otherwise they are quite similar, uniformly bald heads and purple engineering uniforms, lining up for assembly in male/female patterns, sometimes answering in unison, cooperating easily and sometimes finishing each others' actions and sentences. many of their shipmates find them creepy but their expertise is undeniable, they are uniformly pleasant and cooperative with other crewmen, and they have been successful in all their assignments to date. this is their first jump ship assignment and they all look forward to all of them seeing the universe together as a team.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSedE5sU3uc
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gweneth destainian/holder, karl destainian/holder, children
gweneth destainian
777CC7, age 32
mora march, mora
iss field
lead gravitics expert, iss lu hao
skills
soft vacc suit / 0G 1
computer 2* (gravitics x2)
gravitics 2*
liaison 2, carousing 2*
karl holder
BCCAA7, age 32
mora march, mora
iss field
boat pilot, iss lu hao
skills
vacc suit 2* (soft vacc suit, hazard suit)
pilot 2* (0 x2)
damage control 2* (hull)
medical 2* (trauma, pharmaceuticals)
combatives 2
history
tour 1) gweneth: iss tech school, computer, specialization in gravitics x2
karl : iss tech school, damage control, specialization in hull
mercury refueling station, iss search and rescue
tour 2) gweneth: iss tech school, gravitics
karl : iss tech school, paramedic, specilization in trauma and pharmaceuticals
marasten refueling station, iss search and rescue
tour 3) gweneth: iss protocol school, entertainment
karl : iss flight school, pilot, specialization in rate 0 x2
glisten refueling station, iss search and rescue
gravitics technicians are not common, and gweneth is able to find good work anywhere she goes. karl started into search and rescue work on mora, and saw better opportunities to pursue this work off of mora. thus gweneth and karl decided to build their careers around karl's assignments in the iss. they never have been shipboard and thought the iss lu hao would be a good end to their scout careers before returning home to mora with their two children, ages 4 and 2, to raise them in a proper human setting.
in addition to being a fairly notable expert in gravitics and drive calibrations gweneth has formal training in social get-togethers and knows how to throw great parties, especially with an eye towards social cohesion and building esprit. she is quite beautiful and cuts a striking figure at any scene whether sitting in a jump drive rotor nest performing calibrations or standing in front of an audience introducing the guest speaker. on returning to mora she intends to become an off-world protocol and relations expert.
karl is a man's man and has seen more than his share of s&r action, having several commendations on his record for highly competent yet highly aggressive actions in rescuing malfunctioning merchant ships and/or crews caught in gravity wells while refueling at gas giants. on the lu hao he would more properly qualify as a damage control expert, but he doesn't want to sit around waiting for an unlikely event and prefers the action of boat pilot and paramedic-on-call, viewing himself as being available for shipboard damage control if needed. doesn't always talk very much but smiles readily.
gweneth destainian
777CC7, age 32
mora march, mora
iss field
lead gravitics expert, iss lu hao
skills
soft vacc suit / 0G 1
computer 2* (gravitics x2)
gravitics 2*
liaison 2, carousing 2*
karl holder
BCCAA7, age 32
mora march, mora
iss field
boat pilot, iss lu hao
skills
vacc suit 2* (soft vacc suit, hazard suit)
pilot 2* (0 x2)
damage control 2* (hull)
medical 2* (trauma, pharmaceuticals)
combatives 2
history
tour 1) gweneth: iss tech school, computer, specialization in gravitics x2
karl : iss tech school, damage control, specialization in hull
mercury refueling station, iss search and rescue
tour 2) gweneth: iss tech school, gravitics
karl : iss tech school, paramedic, specilization in trauma and pharmaceuticals
marasten refueling station, iss search and rescue
tour 3) gweneth: iss protocol school, entertainment
karl : iss flight school, pilot, specialization in rate 0 x2
glisten refueling station, iss search and rescue
gravitics technicians are not common, and gweneth is able to find good work anywhere she goes. karl started into search and rescue work on mora, and saw better opportunities to pursue this work off of mora. thus gweneth and karl decided to build their careers around karl's assignments in the iss. they never have been shipboard and thought the iss lu hao would be a good end to their scout careers before returning home to mora with their two children, ages 4 and 2, to raise them in a proper human setting.
in addition to being a fairly notable expert in gravitics and drive calibrations gweneth has formal training in social get-togethers and knows how to throw great parties, especially with an eye towards social cohesion and building esprit. she is quite beautiful and cuts a striking figure at any scene whether sitting in a jump drive rotor nest performing calibrations or standing in front of an audience introducing the guest speaker. on returning to mora she intends to become an off-world protocol and relations expert.
karl is a man's man and has seen more than his share of s&r action, having several commendations on his record for highly competent yet highly aggressive actions in rescuing malfunctioning merchant ships and/or crews caught in gravity wells while refueling at gas giants. on the lu hao he would more properly qualify as a damage control expert, but he doesn't want to sit around waiting for an unlikely event and prefers the action of boat pilot and paramedic-on-call, viewing himself as being available for shipboard damage control if needed. doesn't always talk very much but smiles readily.